My four secret weapons for every smoothie

01.10.17

Hi all! Happy New Year. Sorry it’s been so long but life has been busy and tennis elbow has made typing tough. But I’m ready with some new recipes and tidbits for the new year. For starters, I have a class tomorrow (Tuesday January 10th) at CentreSpring MD in Brookhaven that starts at 7:00 PM. We’ll be talking about weight loss and how to keep metabolisms high, reduce inflammation, and how the key to weight loss staying satisfied, not feeling deprived. It’s a free class. Would love to see you there!

So I want to talk a little about smoothies. While smoothies can be tricky, they can also be a really easy way to get some great stuff into our bodies. Some people like fruit in their smoothie, some like vegetables, some like protein powders, but I think before we ever make a smoothie we need to think “what is the goal for this smoothie?” For example, my smoothie is very different from the one I make for my son (and husband, too). Mine consists of greens since I don’t love cold foods or salads in the winter time. Also I include very little sugar since I always try to limit my sugars. My kids’ smoothies, on the other hand, include protein and fat to help them get through their long school day by keeping insulin levels steady, which in turn gives them plenty of energy and focus and in the classroom.

But regardless of whose smoothie it is, I like to add these four ingredients that no one will taste, and everyone can benefit from:

2. Banana flour is an excellent source of resistant starch, a prebiotic. This helps to feed our good bacteria. There are numerous benefits t0 resistant starch. It helps keep you feel full longer, have deeper sleep, lower blood sugar levels (so be careful if you have hypoglycemia), improve insulin sensitivity, increase absorption of minerals. Here, Here, and here is more information on resistant starch if you’re interested.

3. Coconut kefir is a great way to get beneficial bacterial. It is a fermented milk drink that is highly nutritious and contains live probiotics. And the Ancient Awakenings one is dairy free and low sugar. And it’s way easier to get this in my kids versus fermented veggies! And, yes, if you guys are taking probiotics, it’s good to also have fermented foods since we need a variety of good bacteria.

4. It’s hard to get in the right fats if we don’t consciously do it, and if you know me, you know I take every chance I can to insert healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, etc.) into our diets. I choose the avocado oil because it is tasteless. Sometimes I use a 1/4 avocado instead (it only makes it creamier) but this is just a simpler way to make a smoothie in the morning when we are all in such a hurry. Coconut oil would solidify in the cold and make for a not-so-pleasant chunky smoothie and the olive oil (the kind I use) can be a little bitter. Anyway, I like to think that it is just fuel for their brains.

So enjoy your smoothies, have a happy new year and here is to a healthy and happy 2017!

Michelle Maloney -Landria, Do you supplement your smoothies with these or is this the full recipe? My kids love smoothies and always looking to sneak in some more nutrition/ protein;) xx, MMReplyCancel